Look, it ticks me off that the only place in San Diego I get to see Adrian Gonzalez is on Taco Bell cups.

So it is with much reluctance that I submit Carlos Quentin as trade bait.

I surely enjoyed the seventh episode of the Carlos Quentin Show, even if his presence was not enough to avoid another loss for the worst team in baseball, 6-5 to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

The Padres are batting 21 points higher and scoring a full run more per game with Quentin in the lineup. He is by all accounts a man of rare intensity, who values being a veteran presence. He’s from San Diego and is enjoying playing here. And even though he won’t continue hitting the white off the ball, his resume and what he’s doing currently make him the Padres' best offensive player by a frustrating margin.

His arrival after 49 games on the sideline following knee surgery is great for the poor season ticket holders who now have four times a night they can be expectant.

When he came to the plate in the seventh inning with the Padres trailing by a run, there was a reasonable thought that one of his swings could tie the game. He’s the only 2012 Padre we could actually believe could do so on a regular basis.

Heck, Quentin is the first guy the Padres have had since Gonzalez who might have prompted the Giants to walk the tying run aboard in the bottom of the ninth. (He was on deck when Chase Headley struck out to end the game. But what if Headley had gotten on and somehow gotten in scoring position?)

However, the Padres should again be sellers this July and at least try to get some more promising youngsters for the two-time All-Star.

That Quentin grounded out to shortstop in the seventh is not an indictment, just a reminder that one man does not make a baseball team. It’s a small sample size, but the Padres are 2-5 in Quentin’s seven games.

Bottom line, the Padres aren’t good enough (or that close to getting there) to justify keeping Quentin right now. And besides, I just don’t believe Quentin is a guy you build your team around. Not that he needs to rise to that level to justify keeping him, but I’m not even sure the Padres could afford him at $7 or $8 million a year, which he will certainly deserve after this season.

Of course, maybe when my man Thomas Tull takes over he’ll start throwing around some coin. How soon, though, will that take place? Can general manager Josh Byrnes see the future and know what his payroll will be in 2013?

Oh, the Padres will be better if they have Quentin.

And as he stopped to talk in a corridor beneath Petco Park Wednesday night, Quentin sure sounded like a guy who values being here. One of the few veterans on this team that can draw from experience on multiple teams, Quentin’s raving about Bud Black, his coaches, the training staff and the young talent seemed heartfelt.